It has arrived...the new Off-Road Weapon. Let the spending begin!
Submitted: Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 17:57
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Mick O
It’s always a major decision to buy a new car, yet alone a special purpose vehicle like a four wheel drive. There is no doubting that for most people, buying a car is the second biggest financial decisions of their lives behind the purchase of a house. It certainly is for me. The very reason I have a house is because I never spent more than three grand on a vehicle....until I rediscovered outback travel.
So it was today that I found myself standing at the door of a major city Toyota dealer with a mixture of both excitement (when seeing my new Landcruiser ute parked out front) and trepidation knowing I was about to hand over a cheque for a lot of money. Adding to that is the weight of the knowledge that the spending has only really just begun!
After a nervous trip home, here it sits stark naked and waiting for the work to begin. It's off to
Geelong next week to get the chassis extended and a GVM upgrade. I'm sure the activities (and spending) of the next few months will be worthy of a blog as the vehicle takes shape.
Thanks to all those on the site who have put up with my persistant questions and email requests for info and photos. You just might see some of your ideas emerge as the beast gets built.
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Cheers Mick
Reply By: Member - Duncs - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:01
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:01
Looks nice Mick but you are going to need some occy straps to hold all your gear on the back.
Have fun kitting it out.
Duncs
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Follow Up By: guzzi - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:19
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:19
Just call it BOAT and spend accordingly.
B. Bring
O. Over
A. Another
T. Thousand.
Enjoy
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:43
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:43
B
O
A
T Ten
T Thousand
Hahahah should be great though
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:02
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:02
You might want to double that Bonz
B
O
A
Twenty
Thousand
LOL (Jeez what am I saying...panic sets in Ha Ha)
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Reply By: Karen & Geoff - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:26
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:26
Congratulations Mick, Hope it goes as good as our new one, the same as yours. I think you should not mention all you are doing to it, as it will give Geoff idea's. Although we could not put one more thing on ours I dont think. After thousands of $'s for all the extras and the canopy, I think we have finally finished setting ours up. Ours tows the van so
well, we dont even know the van is there.
I'm sure you will have as much fun times as we have had in ours.
Good investment.
karen
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:03
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:03
Thanks Karen. Really, you don't have to do do much to make him happy, just let him slowly work down the wish list for the adventure Machine ;-)
Mick
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Follow Up By: Karen & Geoff - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 22:39
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 22:39
Mick our wish list is now finished. Air bags and air lockers were the last things to be done to it, and we have just had all the canopy modified for the big lap in a couple of weeks. It is so time consuming getting everything done to it. Enjoy yours though, I am just glad ours is now all decked out and done.
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Reply By: Ozhumvee - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:28
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:28
Mick
Just christen it by driving between a few shrubs and trees mate, let the pinstriping begin!!!
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Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:28
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:28
Nice one mate.......
Would like to say would love to see it in 10 days time but it seems you still won't be driving it around. Oh
well, I am happy just looking at
mine, will still be good to catch up for a beer and we can discuss what other mods I still need to do.
I am sure you will enjoy your new truck as much as I am enjoying
mine :)
Peter
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:05
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:05
Look forward to catching up when you're in
Melbourne? Still haven't heard back from the Mobi-arc people in the US. Must be having trouble reconciling the Denso part numbers LOL.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:43
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 18:43
The answer is NO, it will never look the same again !!!
An idea i saw last year at
Quorn
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Looks good mate, have fun and keep us posted on the progress.
Cheers Pesty
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Follow Up By: Member - Timbo - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 19:52
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 19:52
That's nearly big enough to get away with calling it a 'truck' LOL :-)
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:02
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:02
Pesty, please wind-up that tongue of yours and get it back inside your gob mate!!!! Geez, when are you gunna start the conversion of the ol 60 series??? hahaha
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Follow Up By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:03
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:03
AWLL hush your mouth, you will start another argument, it always was a truck !!! hahaha
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:07
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:07
Update...spend another $100K. Struth that's a rig and a half. I've seen this one before as the dual axel conversion and some of the other works have been done by Mulitdrive Technology in
Geelong. They are doing my chassis extension as
well. It's 30K just for the cut and shut and the 6x6 conversion. Tray and allm the sundries on top of that. GVM on these beasts is out to better than 5000 kg. I could cart a lot of tyres with that available Ha Ha.
Mick
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Reply By: Member - Wamuranman - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 19:49
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 19:49
Congratulations - what a great looking truck.
Is the colour "silver pearl" ?
We have another 10 weeks before we get our LC200.
Are the 2 big tanks in your back yard (first picture) full of distillate ?
If so that should last awhile....lol
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:09
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:09
Cheers W. Yep silbver pearl all right. That's the bank out the back alright. Lot's of diesel!
Mick.
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Reply By: equinox - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:03
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:03
Congrats Mick,
Looking forward to finding out how it will go out in the sticks. I haven't heard any reports yet about the new model's capabilities in the real bush.
More importantly, How
well do you think it will go side by in the bush with the old model lol...
Enjoy the moment Mick, it's seems you have made a great decision.
Cheers
Alan
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Follow Up By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:06
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:06
Doesnt the side by side happen later in the year?
Will be good to see if it is any better than the grenade !!!!!!!!
Pesty
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:11
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:11
Thanks for volunteering Al, I'll look forward to running it in easily by following your tracks ;-) Just got to get the work done in time.
Pesty, if you've mozzed me!!!!!
Cheers guys. Mick
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Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:04
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:04
Congtrats Mick.....should last you a year or 3 eh? How much chassis extension are you having added?
Have fun with the build up...remember; measure twice, cut once...hahaha
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:13
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:13
Thanks Bill. 500mm at this stage. I'll talk to them about it next week as I wouldn't mind 600. Pay the professionals is my motto, besides, you've seen my welding LOL.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:44
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 20:44
Diff Lock...off....push....all make sense.
What is RR........FR.RR ?
Nice.......Very Nice.
Cheers.....Lionel.
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:05
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:05
R.R is just the real locker.
F.R - R.R. is the Front and the rear together.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Don't know myself yet ionel, I'm just sleeping in it, not driving it! Thought I'd go the factory option rather than the aftermarket locks for warranty purposes.
Will let you know when I've sorted it all out.
Cheers Mick
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 21:31
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 21:31
Sorry Lionel That should have read "Rear locker" not real locker.
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:07
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:07
It won't ever look that clean again mate :-)
Nice one, I see you polished the dribble off the bonnet before taking the pictures, whats the Pocket Rocket say about it?
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:33
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 21:33
Forgot to add it will also never be so light (weight wise) again in its life.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:45
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:45
Far to tru John. PR loves it (
well she reckons she does). She makes the vehickle look big doesn't she?
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Cheers Mick
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 18:22
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 18:22
Ya need a step ladder for her ;-)
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Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:43
Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:43
Mick that looks like a street in Newport.. I know that area
well.. :)
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Follow Up By: travelmate2 - Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:55
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:55
That does look like the Newport power station stack to me also, live not that far from it myself.
Ray
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Follow Up By: travelmate2 - Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:55
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:55
That does look like the Newport power station stack to me also, live not that far from it myself.
Ray
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Follow Up By: travelmate2 - Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:57
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 at 22:57
sorry about that, a bit new to me.
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Reply By: Member - Alex B - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 22:13
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 22:13
Congratulations Mick!
I Look forward to watching it 'Grow'.
Hope to catch up with you in the not too distant future and see all your great gizmo's first hand.
Cheers
Alex
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Thanks for all your advice too Alex. Must get down to see your beast in a few weeks. Expect a call.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 22:14
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 22:14
Nice Mick... Have fun..
Cheers
Richard
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:58
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:58
Always try to Richard. Thanks for that. Mick
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Reply By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 23:29
Friday, Jan 08, 2010 at 23:29
How many coats of Scratchpro will be appropriate Mick???
Cheers.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:59
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:59
Have already ordered it John. Couldn't find Scratchpro anywhere so I'm back to the Autoskin.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 08:08
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 08:08
Hi Mick
Very nice. Now the fun comes in setting it up the way you want for those extended bush adventures.
One question = you are going to need a very big trailer to take those
long range fuel tanks in photo one. I presume one is for you and the other one for Allan.LOL
Well done Mick.
Cheers
Stephen
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:00
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:00
Ha Ha Stephen. Have the trailer already organised, just have to squeeze the quad on as
well.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Bob of KAOS - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:09
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:09
Mick,
looks like there might be space for a 60L Engel just forward of the spare.
How much did it cost? (if thats not a rude question)
Bob
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:06
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:06
Cheers Bob. See below. How much WILL it cost is the real question.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:45
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 10:45
Where in
Geelong are u getting the work done?
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:02
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:02
Multidrive Technolgies in
Geelong Bonz. They do all the 6x6 coversions for the CFA, DSE and the likes.
Heres a link;
Multidrive
Cheers Mick
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Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 20:27
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 20:27
Geoff,
My little brain sensed a warning, from your cryptic message, about possible 4wd conversion "experts" in the
Geelong region to avoid.
I guess you'll advise Mick personally if D has anything to do with them.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 22:32
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 22:32
MDT in
Geelong are excellent mate, you'll have a great outcome, I actually visited their site around 10 years ago when we were looking at 6x6 vehicles for fleet replacement at work. Their work is exemplary in my opinion.
Jim you are spot on. There is one guy down there that I would steer any mortal away from. MDT are as far from that guy as is humanly possible.
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Reply By: OREJAP - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 11:15
Nice one Mick. Out of interest I was in Nth
Geelong Auto Elec's before Xmas & they were working on extended wheel base Tojo's & wiring up all the goodies for parks & DSE apparently Ian (the boss) said they have the contract to do the work for the Govt dept's. Does your vehicle have all the other goodies like dual airbags & ABS etc....They are a single turbo V8 diesel is that correct? Without trying to be to personal between $60 & $70 large would that be a fair guess? Best of luck with it and I'm sure I probably see you around the
Geelong area one day.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:06
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 12:06
Yep, all that work gets done in
Geelong coming out of Multidrive who take care of the conversions themselves.
Mine is the 79 Upgrade with the airbags. Less than 60 large but not by much. That was without tray and rego but with difflocks and air. Standard GXL with tray and on the road was about late 50's.
Cheers Mick
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Reply By: Member - Russnic [NZ] - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:15
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:15
Hi Mick O
Looks like a truck to me, but that is my opinion.
Got my Troopy's 20,000 service done at
Ceduna last winter, sitting in the yard were two stretched tray backs, one had the drive shaft laying on the back. It appeared the diff pinion shaft had shorn off as the uni. joints appeared OK,
it may have been a 4x6 conversion.
The other one was a 6x6 conversion but the bit between the back diffs was missing, don't know the reason.
It does appear problems can occur.
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Reply By: Richard W (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:23
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:23
Good stuff Mick.
Be great to see the finished product.
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:33
Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:33
Cheers Richard. Knowing me you can expect a blog on it!.
Safe travels. Mick
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Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:34
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 at 17:34
So now you have had it for about 24 hours is the build up finished yet???
I don't see any EO stickers on it yet LOL
Cheers Kev
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 13:20
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 13:20
Gday Mick,
I'm a bit surprised by your plan to extend the wheelbase, considering the wheelbase of the 79series is already 200mm longer than a troopie and 330mm longer than an 80series.
I found my standard 79series will belly out on the top of a dune a lot easier than any other 4wd I've owned - and its already got a 2" lift. While I've not had an issue in the WA deserts because the dunes are not as tall, I've been towed off a few dunes in the North Simpson and on the many 4wd club sand driving weekends here in SA.
Just something to be aware of - you might have to break the dune tops a bit more than you're used to.
Also the turning circle will go from huge to a bit more than huge.
Enjoy the vehicle! The traytops are great fun to build up -
mine's still getting developed after 5 years!
Cheers
Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 14:06
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 14:06
G'day Phil,
I heard on the grapevine that Mick has another "plan" for the new beast, that hasn't been made public yet. When enacted, it will overcome the "bellying-out" issues that you speak of..............................
PORTAL AXLES..... cheap @ $16,000-........ ;-))
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:36
Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 00:36
Amen Bill,
at least when they send me off in true Nordic fashion, I may be remembered as the father of the 16" lift!!!!! (Non monster truck that is!).
Cheers 'BIG' Mick ;-)
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